The Associated Press projected Deb Haaland to win New Mexico’s governor’s race, a milestone the AP and The Guardian said would make her the first Native American woman elected governor of a U.S. state.
The AP projected Haaland’s victory over Republican Greggory D. Hull at 10:40 p.m. EST Nov. 3. New Mexico’s 2026 candidate guide lists Nov. 24 as the statewide certification date and says canvassing must be complete before results become official.
The AP and The Guardian also reported that Haaland was the first Native American Cabinet secretary. She served as the 54th secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior under President Joe Biden from 2021 to 2025, department records show. In remarks published by the department, Haaland identified herself as a member of the Pueblo of Laguna.
The AP reported that outgoing Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham could not seek re-election because of term limits. New Mexico’s election proclamation sets the governor’s term at four years.
